India’s roads continue to be a perilous landscape, as a recent report from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reveals a staggering death toll. In 2023 alone, more than 1.73 lakh people lost their lives and another 4.47 lakh were injured in road accidents across the country. A concerning finding indicates that nearly 46% of these victims were two-wheeler riders. The primary causes identified for this widespread devastation are over-speeding and careless driving.
The year 2023 witnessed a significant uptick in road mishaps, with a total of 4,64,029 accidents reported nationwide. This marks an increase of 17,261 cases compared to 2022. Tragically, fatalities also rose by 1.6%, from 1,71,100 deaths in 2022 to 1,73,826 in 2023.
A closer look at the accident timings shows that the period between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. was the most hazardous, accounting for 95,984 cases (20.7%). Other high-risk windows included 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (17.3% or 80,482 cases) and 12 noon to 3 p.m. (15% or 69,397 cases).
Two-wheelers were involved in the highest number of fatal accidents, contributing to 79,533 deaths, which is 45.8% of the total road accident fatalities. Pedestrians followed with 27,586 deaths (15.9%), and occupants of SUVs, cars, and jeeps accounted for 24,776 deaths (14.3%).
Two-Wheeler Fatalities Soar in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh
When examining two-wheeler accident deaths, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest numbers, with 11,490 (14.4%) and 8,370 (10.5%) deaths, respectively.
Uttar Pradesh also recorded a large proportion of fatalities from SUV/car/jeep accidents, with 4,768 deaths out of 24,776, representing 19.2% of such incidents. Similarly, this state saw a significant number of deaths involving trucks, lorries, and mini-trucks, with 4,138 out of 13,823, accounting for 29.9%.
The NCRB’s analysis of fatal road accident causes unequivocally points to over-speeding as the leading factor, responsible for 58.6% (1,01,841 deaths) of fatalities. Dangerous, careless driving or overtaking contributed to another 23.6% (41,035 deaths).
Lesser, yet still significant, causes included poor weather conditions, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and animal crossings, which collectively led to 2.8% (4,952 deaths) of accidents.
While road accidents generally result in more injuries than deaths, several regions bucked this trend. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jharkhand, Punjab, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh all reported more fatalities than injuries. For instance, in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 25 accidents led to 27 deaths and 11 injuries. Jharkhand recorded 5,316 accidents, causing 4,173 deaths and 3,586 injuries. Punjab saw 6,276 accidents with 4,906 deaths and 3,305 injuries. Bihar reported 11,014 accidents, resulting in 8,873 deaths and 6,539 injuries. Uttar Pradesh, a major contributor to national statistics, had 37,764 accidents, leading to 23,947 deaths and 23,843 injuries.
Accidents on Expressways and National Highways
Expressways also saw a notable number of incidents, with 3,630 road accidents reported, causing injuries to 2,762 individuals and the deaths of 2,372 persons.
National Highways bore the brunt of the highest number of road accident deaths, accounting for 34.6% (60,127 out of 1,73,826 deaths) of all fatalities. State Highways followed, contributing to 23.4% (40,611 deaths).
An additional 73,088 people (42%) tragically lost their lives on other types of roads.
A state and union territory breakdown for National Highways fatalities showed Uttar Pradesh leading with 11.7% (7,041 out of 60,127 deaths), followed by Tamil Nadu at 10.4% (6,258 deaths), Maharashtra at 8.5% (5,104 deaths), Karnataka at 7% (4,230 deaths), and Madhya Pradesh also at 7% (4,184 deaths) in 2023.